After studying 100 patients at an ear , nose and throat clinic researchers say people who go to the doctor complaining of snoring shouldn't expect
After studying 100 patients at an ear , nose and throat clinic researchers say people who go to the doctor complaining of snoring shouldn't expect to receive a diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome ( OSAS ) based on a routine examination alone instead an overnight sleep testing needs to be done inorder to reach a diagnosis of the same .
For the study, physicians evaluated the patients with a routine medical exam including a medical history evaluation, an evaluation of their anatomy to check for problems that might suggest sleep apnea, and a test that looks for obstruction in the throat. Patients also underwent overnight sleep testing in a sleep lab over a two-night period. It was observed that results from the routine medical exams did not differ significantly between the people who were diagnosed with OSAS after sleep testing and those who were not.In conclusion researchers say since none of the reported medical history and/or anatomical parameters alone or in combination can be used to distinguish patients with OSAS from snoring patients say overnight sleep testing should be done for patients suspected of having sleep apnea.
